"I knew that was the race I wanted to run" - Legendary Athlete Carl Lewis reflects on his 100m world record-breaking race

Carl Lewis recently looked back at the 100m world record that he recorded in 1991. Lewis posted a stunning time of 9.86 seconds to achieve this feat that has since been bettered quite a few times over the past 33 years.

The legendary American athlete competed in multiple events, including the 100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay events.

Lewis clocked 9.86 seconds in the 100m event at the 1991 IAAF World Championships held in Tokyo, Japan. He defeated his fellow teammates Leroy Burrell and Dennis Mitchell, who clocked 9.88 and 9.91 seconds, respectively.

In a recent conversation with World Athletics, Lewis reminisced about the significant achievement of his career. Lewis stated that he got a strong start but was trailed behind after 10m of the race. However, unfazed by the setback, in a dramatic fashion he regained his position and crossed the finish line triumphantly.

In the interview, he conveyed that the race was a defining moment of his career as he was a long jumper and not a sprinter.

"Really the thing about it is that in my whole career, I dealt with the 100m because it wasn't my best event and it wasn't my number one event. It was an added event, I was a long jumper but the big thing is that I was finally able to win, break the world record, and win," Carl Lewis said.

Further, the 63-year-old said that the race was exactly as he anticipated it to be.

"When you are 30 years old you don't know it's unprecedented to be in that space. You don't know what's gonna happen. So it was very very rewarding, incredible. It was an incredible race and I knew that was the race I wanted to run which doesn't happen," Lewis said.

Carl Lewis defended his 100m title at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul

Carl Lewis secured a total of ten Olympic medals throughout his illustrious career, nine of them being gold. The American won the 100m event at the sporting event twice.

Lewis posted a time of 9.99 seconds to win the race in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, surpassing compatriot Sam Graddy and Canada's Ben Johnson, both of who finished on the podium.

In the following edition of the Summer Games in Seoul, the American successfully defended his title after clocking 9.92 seconds in the final, setting a new world record at the time. The American sprinter was followed by Linford Christie and Calvin Smith on the podium.